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Why Windows RT Is a Terrible Name

Microsoft just announced the names for its suite of Windows 8 products. In an attempt to simplify things, the company opted for just three major versions: the consumer-ready Windows 8, the more advanced and versatile Windows 8 Pro, and the tablet-friendly Windows RT.

Wait a sec, Windows what?

"RT" stands for runtime, according to Microsoft's blog post explaining the naming scheme. Windows RT is the version of Windows that will run on devices powered by ARM-based chips — typically mobile devices like tablets (but not phones, since those run Windows Phone). It's what we were previously calling Windows on ARM.

Why "runtime?" Windows Runtime (usually abbreviated WinRT) is technically Microsoft's developer platform for Windows 8. The next version of Windows uses a brand-new interface, called Metro, that works with both touchscreens and mouse-and-keyboard setups. WinRT lets developers create apps only once, so they run on both regular PCs as well as ARM devices.

Why should you care about any of this? You shouldn't — it's all inside-baseball stuff of interest only to enthusiasts, engineers and developers. And that's exactly why Windows RT is such a terrible choice for the name. The label is perplexing, insidery and underwhelming.

When Microsoft announced it was developing Windows — full-on Windows, with the desktop, Office and everything — for ARM devices, it was huge news and not just to industry wonks. It meant that Microsoft's core software was going to be extended into entirely new categories of devices, for consumers, businesses and everything in between.

That's a big deal, and an even bigger opportunity for Microsoft. It has a chance, with Windows 8 tablets and other ARM-based devices down the road, to extend its reach to new customers, to get people excited about its products — and maybe even make Windows sound cool. Let's face it: A big part of the popularity of the iPad and other tablets is their sex appeal.

But instead of going for the touchdown, Microsoft punted. "Windows RT" is muted and forgettable name. It sounds like it was tacked on at the last second. Worse than that, it betrays the kind of engineer-first institutional thinking that's often been an albatross for the company (remember Vista's intrusive dialog boxes?).

As a counterexample, it's instructive to look how Apple sorts out it mobile platform. Now, there are four products that run iOS: the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple TV. Among them, iOS comes in three distinct flavors: It runs differently on the iPhone/iPod Touch than on the iPad, and it's a totally different animal on the Apple TV.

Yet somehow, Apple doesn't caught up in figuring out what they're going to call each and every version. It's just "iOS" — if you really need to call it something, you can use the product name.

Certainly, Microsoft has never displayed the same "complete product experience" philosophy as Apple — a key ingredient in its previous success with Windows PCs. And even though Windows on ARM devices represents a partial adoption of the Apple approach, Microsoft still needs partners to make the hardware, so it needed to call ARM-based Windows something.

But instead of giving the exciting new crop of Windows products a decent name, Microsoft put developers first and just added on a confusing (to most) suffix. Maybe it didn't have any good ideas or maybe its focus groups steered them away from other, more consumer-friendly names. But even a bad or stupid-sounding name would be better than a clinical abbreviation that inspires … nothing.

Microsoft could always rename it later, but the absence of "8" in the name appears to indicate the new name will apply to all Windows on ARM devices going forward. We could be stuck with Windows RT for a long time.

As bad as the name is, Microsoft shouldn't lose too much sleep over it. After all, names don't matter that much in the end. Back in 2006, a lot of people snickered when Nintendo said it would call its next game console the Wii, but millions of sales later, Nintendo had the last laugh.

However, the Wii was a good product, and Windows RT products have yet to prove themselves. We should find out one way or the other this fall. At least if Windows tablets are successful, Microsoft can be sure nobody bought one simply because it sounded cool.

BONUS: A Tour of Windows 8

Windows 8 Consumer Preview: The Good and the Bad

Start Menu

Here's what greets you every time you log into your Windows 8 machine. Yes, the tiles are customizable, though it's a little unwieldy in practice.

Sharing in Metro

Sharing is arguably Metro's most powerful feature. Although the sharing option is only populated with Mail right now, once Windows 8 apps get going, you'll see options here like Facebook, Twitter and all the rest -- in every app.

Finance Metro App

Many apps, like the native Finance app, look beautiful in Metro.

Traditional Desktop

You can still get back to the familiar desktop anytime you want in Windows 8. Note the absence of a Start button, which you get to by mousing into the lower-left corner.

Bing Maps

Bing Maps, like all Metro apps, makes use of the entire screen. Right-clicking brings up options.

Multitasking Menu

You can see which apps are running by pointing your mouse to one of the left corners and then moving it alongside. Right-clicking an app lets you stop it.

Action Menu

The side action menu slides out via the side and is the same no matter what app you're in.

Buggy Email

The consumer preview of Windows 8 still has lots of bugs in it, as evidenced by this screen shot of the email app.

Internet Explorer Tabs

Since the entire screen in Internet Explorer is dedicated to showing you the web page, right-clicking twice shows you the tabs that are open.

Messaging

Messaging ties with your People app, bringing in contacts on Windows Messenger or Facebook.

Flickr Integration

The Windows 8 Photo app has built-in integration with Flickr, but it wasn't working on our device.

SkyDrive

Your 25GB of free SkyDrive space is easily accessible via a live tile, and it integrates with the Photos app, letting you avoid sending large email attachments by uploading pics to SkyDrive.

Weather App

The Weather app also looks beautiful in Metro.

PC Settings

Through settings, you can make changes to your Windows profile, which will show up -- apps and all -- on any Windows 8 machine you log into.

Flash Player Download

Yep, you still need to download Flash to get your browsers to play many videos, like those on YouTube.

Adding Apps to Start Menu

You can customize your Start menu with specific apps, even if they're desktop-only apps like the browsers seen here.

Video Hub

The video hub doesn't just show video files -- it also promotes content as well. Whether that's a plus or a minus is up to you.

Solitaire

Solitaire was available on our Consumer Preview device via Xbox Live, though Microsoft said it couldn't guarantee it would be in the general release.

Windows 8 With a Mouse and Keyboard

Microsoft designed Windows 8 to be comfortable to use either by touch or with a mouse and keyboard. We found some functions counterintuitive, but it's still a powerful interface.

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